Four-Legged Friend
A Delaware Valley dog has joined his owner on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic, bringing joy and hope to vulnerable adults sheltering from exposure to the virus.
For the past several weeks, Boogs, a black and white Shih Tzu, has been visiting residents of Divine Providence Village (DPV), an intermediate care facility (ICF) for individuals with intellectual disabilities.
Located in Springfield, DPV is part of the larger Communities of Don Guanella and Divine Providence (DGDP). Administered by archdiocesan Catholic Social Services (CSS), the DGDP communities provide a continuum of support through community and campus-based living arrangements, life sharing through family living, in-home assistance, respite care and day programs.
Residents of DPV had been “receiving pet therapy for years” through the center’s Fatima Day Program, said DPV administrator Jean Calvarese-Donovan.
Rabbits as well as dogs would visit and cuddle with residents, offering reassurance as well as “a sensory experience,” she said.
However, COVID restrictions forced the day program to close, leaving DPV residents – already confined to the campus by the virus – anxious and lonely, she noted.
During her long shifts at DPV, health care coordinator Mimi Meeder saw that “residents were feeling isolated and … grieving the loss of (loved ones) and their routine,” said Calvarese-Donovan.
In response, Meeder snapped a leash on her dog Boogs and took him to meet the DPV residents.
The connection was immediate, said Calvarese-Donovan.
“It was such a positive experience, and she saw that his presence was helping to decrease anxiety and stress for the ladies,” she said.
Having aced his interview, Boogs was quickly registered as an emotional support animal to the delight of both residents and staff, who benefit equally from the canine’s gentle presence.
He’s also right-sized for his new role, said Calvarese-Donvan.
“He can easily sit on someone’s lap, even if they are in a wheelchair,” she said, adding that Boogs has brought “comfort and joy during some very sad times.”
Although fluent only in barking, Boogs has evoked some heartfelt words.
“One of our ladies who is more on the quiet side began to initiate speaking while petting Boogs,” said Calvarese-Donovan. “Then her conversation expanded to talking about her feelings.”
With his coffee-colored eyes and fetching underbite, Boogs draws residents and staff out of themselves, and helps build community, she added.
“One person was feeling down and didn’t want to leave her room,” she said. “Knowing that Boogs was in the building, she was motivated to come out of her room and join the others to see him.”
In fact, Boogs may be the most popular DPV staffer, even rivaling his well-regarded owner.
“Everyone looks forward to seeing Boogs,” said Calvarese-Donovan. “As soon as they see Mimi coming, they look down toward the floor to greet him. And they love Mimi too!”
Therapy Dogs Visit Hospital
Fairview Park Hospital staff had some furry friends pay them a visit this week.
“As everybody knows, we’ve been fighting this pandemic and our staff just needed a little pick-me-up,” said director of Marketing and Communications, Lindsay Black.
More than 100 hospital staff members got to cozy up with some pet therapy dogs on Wednesday. It was all part of a celebration for National Dog Day.
“We wanted to take the opportunity to bring in pet therapy for our staff,” Black said.
She says all staff were invited to get play time in with the four-legged friends, but the employees on the COVID-19 ward were strongly encouraged to participate.
“Staff right now working on the dedicated COVID ward are wearing tight N-95 masks, 12-hour shifts. They’re wearing PPE all day long. They have had a lot of added stressors,” Black said.
Black says while those employees are managing stress well, it was important for them to blow off some steam while at work.
“Having these pet therapy dogs has been a great way for them to have some stress relief and put a smile to their face,” she said.
Black says the dogs are specially trained and certified by the Pet Therapy Alliance.
“It is proven scientifically to reduce stress and it was a really great time. The staff really enjoyed it,” she said.
During the day shift, about 100 staff members came to play with the dogs and during the night shift, about 30 employees came through, Black says.
“It’s just a nice break,” she said. “You know, it’s been very trying and unprecedented times and this gave them a break so that they could just, for a few minutes, have a little bit of relaxation.”
Ruger The Rescue Dog
Ruger is an all-American dog with a billboard to prove it.
The 5-year-old Belgian Malinois-pitbull mix from Bentonville is trained in search and rescue, specializing in finding missing pets. Recently, she was selected as one of 10 winners among about 16,000 applicants in the Early Times All-American Dogs social media campaign.
Early Times Kentucky Whiskey has honored Ruger and nine other “All-American” dogs from around the country with a photoshoot, a billboard and a whiskey barrel doghouse. Ruger’s billboard is in Stephens City near U.S. 11 and Va. 37.
“I was super surprised,” said Ruger’s owner, Lisa Jones, who submitted Ruger’s information in March.
Considering the thousands of submissions, she said, “I was just blown away.”
Jones, who operates the business Full Tilt Tracking LLC, got into search and rescue after she hired Dogs Finding Dogs out of Baltimore to track down her son’s missing dog in Front Royal.
“We didn’t eat, we didn’t sleep. We looked for that dog around the clock,” she recalled.
Afterward, she realized that she wanted to help others find their missing pets, too.
“That was a job I could really wrap my heart around,” said Jones.
Ruger finds lost animals by sniffing their scent from a household item. She narrows down the area where the pet is hiding, and Jones might then either set out a trap for the animal or lure it using its owner’s scent.
“People want to be found, but animals don’t,” she said. “You’re trying to trigger that recognition in them.”
In one of her favorite memories, Ruger helped find a lost dog named Willie in the George Washington National Forest. She located the area where Willie was hiding, and his owners walked the trail before Jones directed them to return to their car and leave all the doors open — “so that their scent would blow out into the night.” This left Willie “a scent trail to follow,” she said, and a few minutes later, he came bounding down the trail to the car. “It’s a rewarding job, I love it,” said Jones.
The 2021 calendar is Early Times’ second All-American Dogs calendar, said Robert Trinkle, partner and senior vice president at PriceWeber.
“We have a great team that goes through all of the entries,” he said in a Tuesday phone call. “Really, what we’re looking for is dogs that are All-Americans.”
What that indicates, he said, is a dog that exemplifies the core values that have kept the Early Times brand alive since 1860 — hard word and dependability.
Other dogs featured in the calendar hail from Kentucky, Alabama, Florida, North Carolina, Tennessee, Maryland, Ohio, Indiana and Nevada. They’re military dogs, rescue dogs, therapy dogs and companion dogs who help others, spread joy or simply have an inspiring “All-American” redemption story.
The idea for the yearly calendar grew from a partnership the company has with K9s for Warriors, a nonprofit that trains service dogs for veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury, and other trauma resulting from post-9/11 military service, an Aug. 17 company release states. “To date, Early Times has donated $200,000 to K9s For Warriors,” the release states.
Canine Companions
It’s a dog’s life for Megan Koester. The mother of twin sons owns a pet but she also works with them.
Koester has worked for six years as Canine Companions For Independence (CCI) north central region executive director. She said she has witnessed a lot of growth in the region, which spans 14 states and includes Western Pennsylvania.
“It is so amazing to see how quickly dogs and people bond together,” Koester said. “To watch the work they do is magnificent.
“It’s magical,” she added, “to see individuals for the first time feeling comfortable.”
Koester said the goal is for people to be able to go out in the community by themselves without a caregiver or to watch a community interact more frequently with somebody with a disability.
“It’s incredible to see how many different ways these dogs help adults, children or vets do what they want to daily but independently and at the same time be in a place where they can comfortably interact with the community,” she said.
Animals lovers and others can see for themselves when the organization conducts its annual DogFest from 12 to 1 p.m. Sept. 13.
According to Koester, the national event brings awareness to what CCI does.
It also helps share the group’s mission and raise important funds while engaging local communities in activities with their families and dogs.
“We want this to be an event that everyone can participate in,” Koester said. “We are encouraging folks to engage with their pets and also spending time to show why CCI dogs are so different and the tasks and the skills that they provide to children and adults and veterans with disabilities.”
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, this year’s event will be held virtually.
“We want to keep people safe,” Koester said. “This was the best way to get information out and the best way we knew how to share with others and keep everyone safe because some of our populations fall into the high-risk category.”
Dogfest is the major fundraiser for CCI. The nonprofit owns the dog from birth through its entire time working with its client. The value of the entire partnership is $50,000 per dog.
This year’s fundraising goal is $255,000.
“The organization was founded on the fact that we wanted to help with individuals with disabilities to make this tool and relationship as easy as can,” Koester said. “So part of that was taking away that financial burden that can be placed on something. So it is important to us to place this dogs free of charge.”
During DogFest, participants can chat and ask questions. CCI will provide resources for them to learn more about what the group does.
There will be contests, prize incentives and tools provided to share emails or post pictures of people and their pets on social-media platforms.
“We want to keep it fun and an enjoyable event,” Koester said.
“You don’t even need a pet to participate.”
That’s one big advantage of the event being virtual this year. Anyone can participate and it doesn’t matter where they live.
“That’s a huge benefit,” Koester said. “In a small amount of time, people can get a taste of what we do and see how they may want to engage with us. It’s easy to do from home and doesn’t take much time.”
Working Service Dogs
More videos have surfaced of people being inconsiderate and discourteous towards not only the owner of service animals, but the dog as well. Someone might be distracting the dog by cooing at it or asking if they can pet the dog. In some cases, parents, who should know better, do not tell their children to leave the dog alone. This type of event happens more often than not and oftentimes it is simply because the people around the dog do not know how to behave around them. They might also simultaneously not understand what the dog is meant to be doing. Understandably, most people see a dog and think “Puppy!” However, this “puppy” is actually doing their job, just like any other human.
There are many different kinds of service dogs that help so many people with a variety of different mental and physical disabilities. The task that a dog is trained for is what constitutes a service dog, as they are specifically trained to perform a task for someone with a disability. There are Guide or Seeing dogs, Hearing or Signal dogs, Psychiatric dogs, Sensory or Social Signal dogs and Seizure Response dogs. All of these dogs are labeled as service dogs and are allowed in public and social spaces where animals might not usually be allowed. Emotional support dogs are more meant to comfort and support their humans, and do not fall under the same rules and regulations as service dogs. An important distinction between an emotional support dog and a service dog is the training that the two undergo. Emotional support dogs are also simply called support dogs, as they are there for their humans more as comfort than to perform a specific task. However, both types of dog are trained to assist their humans and should not be distracted from their primary job.
What could happen if someone distracts a service dog? It depends on the disability that the dog is trained for. Distracting a Guide or Hearing dog can be especially dangerous in that their human has one less sense than the people around them. Their daily lives have been affected by their disability and their service dog might be the only thing that helps them get around. Some of the most dangerous places to distract a service dog are crosswalks and sidewalks. A service dog can get distracted anywhere and that can lead their human to getting injured.
If you can’t pet or acknowledge them, what do you do when you see a service dog? You leave them alone. They’re working after all, and their primary job is to keep their human safe. Guide dogs are their humans eyes, Hearing dogs are their humans ears and if they are distracted from that job, their human can get hurt very easily. You can admire the dog from a safe distance and quietly say to yourself or your friends that the dog is doing a very good job. It isn’t recommended to speak to the human about their dog either, but that is a case-by-case situation Some humans of service dogs love to talk and boast about them, and others like to be left alone unless they ask for help. The overarching thing to know about service dogs is they are not there for other people, they are there for their human and to keep them safe.
How do you even spot a service dog in the first place? Luckily, a service dog is usually found wearing a black and vibrant red vest, although they can be found in different colors like purple and blue. The different colors indicate different types of service dogs, but the most common vests are black and red. There are two standard patches on the vest, one on each side of the dog, that states that they are a service dog and they are written in big bold white letters. Some owners will put a variety of patches on the vest of their dog to express their disability as well as let people know that they should not distract their service dog. Some of these patches might explicitly say not to pet or acknowledge the dog. Some may say that the dog is working. Some may have a picture of the caduceus sign, which is often seen on ambulances and EMT uniforms. These are easy to see signs that inform an outsider not to pet, interact with or make eye contact with a service dog as those actions can distract the dog from their job. Service dogs can be young or old, fluffy or skinny, friendly or shy, and can be any breed. They might be super tempting to pet and fawn over but at the end of the day, that dog is an extension of their human. They are doing their best to keep their human safe and they’ve trained long and hard to do so. The best thing that outsiders and bystanders can do is let the dog do their job and educate those in the area that the dog should not be distracted. You can be rest assured that the dog is being cuddled and fed well at home, wherever that may be.
El Paso Animal Services
As with so many other parts of society and business, the work of El Paso’s Animal Service providers has been made all the more difficult by Covid-19.
“We have turned to virtual adoptions, virtual fosters and other special projects,” said director Paula Powell. “We have done some curbside things and we have also managed new ways to handle the strays.”
Good Samaritan Julian Lopez learned about that new process for strays when he tried to dropping off a trio of dogs he had found.
“They’ve been roaming the block for a week,” he said. “I was just trying to find shelter for them. They told me they can’t take dogs so I have to call and create a report with them so they can come get the dogs later.”
Animal protection officers are certainly still responding to 311 calls, however animal services no longer allows for walk-ups.
Animal Services also recently began a partnership with the city’s Parks and Recreation Department in which five parks will now be used as locations to help people who find a lost pet by scanning the animal for a microchip.
“Any pet you find, just go to one of those locations or any of the fire stations around town and we will go ahead and scan that for you,” said animal services research and management assistant Adan Parra.
The parks that were selected for the partnership are Westside Natatorium, Officer David Ortiz Skate Park, Grandview Spray Park, Veterans Swimming Pool and Salvador Rivas Spray Park.
Microchip scanning will be available at those parks seven days a week from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Dog Control Service
Throughout lockdown the Service has continued to operate, with Wardens collecting dogs, keeping them safe and reuniting pets with their owners.
The Stray Dog Kennel at Greenacres, Talbenny, has also remained open to receive and care for stray dogs if the Wardens have been unable to find their owners.
However, as with many Council Services, the workload has increased significantly.
The rise in dog ownership has naturally led to more people being out and about, exercising their pets.
While exercise is good for both pet and owner, this has created some additional work for the Service.
Problems reported include an increase in dog fouling, people reporting dogs being out of control, off leads in public places, or their own dogs having been attacked by other dogs when owners have not kept them under proper control.
Pembrokeshire County Council Dog Warden Sally Bland said: “As we are all aware, not all dogs are socialised and while they may be loving toward us, they may not always be as social to other people or to other dogs.
“Therefore we are asking that when you are exercising your dogs – which is fantastic – please ensure that you pick up after your pet.
“Also please ensure that when you walk your dog, you ensure that you are in control.
“Unless the dog is extremely well trained, this will generally mean that your dog is kept on a lead in a busy public area or that you maintain sight of your dog at all time and ensure that it is brought under proper control and on a lead when you see others, or see other dogs.”
The Service has been issuing Community Protection Warnings and Notices for dogs that have been repeatedly out of control and causing reasonable alarm to others.
The Wardens work in close partnership with Officers of Dyfed-Powys Police and all reports of problems being caused by dogs are shared between the Police and the Council Wardens.
Where there have been repeat offences, the Council and the Police have been acting jointly to serve Notice to ensure people take control and responsibility for their pets.
Any breaches of Notice can result in Fixed Penalty Notices being issued with fines of £70, or the matter can be referred for action to be considered in the Magistrates Court.
Sally added: “Pease continue to enjoy your dogs, but please do so responsibly.”
Dog owners are also reminded that the dog summer beach restrictions are now in force.
LeeLee The Service Dog
A fresh and fluffy face will greet students at Stephens Elementary School this year and provide an added layer of comfort to improve the children’s daily lives.
LeeLee the facility service dog is trained to sense anxiety, concern and behavior changes to ease the minds of students and teachers.
“She can help with social and emotional issues or just bring good vibes,” director of elementary schools Ellen Martin said. “She is precious and we’ve been wanting a service dog in the school system for several years.”
Teachers submitted applications to be the chosen handler and Stephens science, technology, engineering and math teacher Leanne Waldrop qualified to train with LeeLee the labradoodle for a week in Hope Hull. Waldrop and LeeLee stayed in a hotel for a week to practice basic commands and spent time training with Service Dog of Alabama in a school to get familiar with hallways and classrooms.
LeeLee has been training for this work since she was born so the week in Hope Hull was mainly for Waldrop and to establish that bond between her and the dog.
“The week of training was the week before spring break,” Martin said. “So on our way down on Friday for (training) graduation is when we got the announcement that the governor shut down schools.”
Therefore, LeeLee has not actually met any students yet, except for Waldrop’s three children, ages 4 and 6. LeeLee will live with Waldrop and get to be a family dog while at home. Waldrop will be her guardian until the current 3-year-old pup retires. Most service dogs retire after six to eight years.
“It’s going to be really interesting when school starts back to see what the kids have to say and how they react,” Martin said.
Martin submitted a request letter in the fall and sent in the application to Service Dogs of Alabama shortly after.
“The application was detailed and we had to describe the people we serve and how the service dog will improve their outcome,” Martin said. “One of the main reasons I think we were selected was based on our need for a service dog.”
The service dogs are trained to keep students calm, serve as a deterrent for bad behavior, act as a therapist for children not comfortable talking directly to an adult and many other situational responses.
Alex City Schools paid $6,000 for LeeLee and is responsible for all vet costs, regular medication and crates for both Waldrop’s classroom and at her home. LeeLee wears a service dog vest and an Alexander City Schools employee tag as she is considered part of the staff.
“I am excited for the opportunity to provide the students a service dog,” Stephens principal Ivy Pike said. “We don’t know what they’ve experienced for the five months they’ve been out of school so this will add another emotional layer of support.”
Waldrop will be transitioning to all classrooms at Stephens throughout the day, so all the children will be introduced to LeeLee.
“It also teaches children responsibility,” Waldrop said. “They can walk LeeLee, with supervision, and there will be rules and guidelines for students to follow during the school day when it comes to her.”
Students will get to greet LeeLee each morning as they enter school to start everyone off on an enthusiastic note. A letter will be sent home to parents of Stephens’ students before school starts to let them know LeeLee will be a part of their daily routines.
During the first three years, Waldrop and LeeLee have to attend Service Dogs of Alabama trainings twice a year and once a year after that.
“It’s a big deal and a very great responsibility to be a handler,” Martin said.
Alex City natives Ann Goree and Carol Lee were two driving forces behind Alex City receiving a service dog. Lee is on the Service Dogs of Alabama board and the two made it their mission to make this dream become a reality. They also hosted a fundraiser last fall that helped with the funding.
Martin hopes to get service dogs for Jim Pearson and Radney elementary schools in the near future as well.
“Anyone wanting to donate to that cause can do so with the Alexander City Schools Education Foundation,” Martin said.
David Beckham On Dog Day
The England legend, 45, was showered with kisses from Cocker Spaniel Sage, as he shared photos with the family’s two older dogs Olive and Fig.
David and Victoria added Sage to their family last year as a present for daughter Harper, eight.
The star wrote on Instagram: “Happy International dog day sage trying her luck with a kiss on the lips”
Becks wasn’t the only celeb to post sweet photos with their furry friends.
Strictly star Karen Hauer told fans to “love” their hounds, sharing a photo her dogs Betty, Marley and Phoebe and boyfriend David Webb.
Olivia and Alex Bowen also paid tribute to their “babies” sharing adorable snaps of their French bulldogs Winnie and Reggie.
And Ruth Langsford, Kelly Brook, Joel Dommett and Linda Lusardi all posted sweet tributes to their beloved pets.
International Dog Day began in the US as National Dog Day.
It was started by by Pet & Family Lifestyle Expert and Animal Advocate, Colleen Paige.
The day, August 26 is especially poignant for Colleen as it’s the date that Colleen’s family adopted her first dog “Sheltie.”
On their website, National Dog Day describes its aim as “to help galvanize the public to recognize the number of dogs that need to be rescued each year and acknowledges family dogs and dogs that work selflessly each day to save lives, keep us safe and bring comfort.”
In 2013, the day was written into New York State legislation and has since been adopted the world over by dog lovers of all nationalities.
International Dog Day is a time to celebrate our special pets, but also to help and recognise the number of dogs worldwide who face cruelty and harsh conditions.
The day was created to recognise all dogs – from family pets, to service dogs, to those awaiting adoption.
Being Quaratined With A Pet
Whether you recently adopted a pet or already had furry friends before the pandemic, you’re probably loving having something to snuggle and play with at all hours of the day. But for Gen Zers and millennials, having pets during the pandemic has actually been a serious source of self-care, according to a new study. The team at Fullscreen, a social media content company that works with brands and influencers, surveyed people who are 18-37, with 62% of respondents sharing that they’re stressed over losing their regular routines due to the effects of the growing pandemic. But having a pet seems to be both motivating and grounding for plenty of young people, with 64% saying that having a pet to take care of has helped them feel like they have a “meaningful routine,” and 61% of pet owners agreeing that having a pet helps them “stay present and less worried about the future.”
It seems the distraction and comfort of having a four-legged pal around is a crucial part of well-being, with 58% of participants admitting that they don’t know what they would do without their pets during this time, and 68% sharing that living with a pet helps them feel less alone.
It turns out that 67% of pet owners feel that caring for their pets gives them a “higher purpose”. Many noted that adopting an animal or caring for the pet of a friend or family member who no longer can creates a “positive impact on the world” for them, especially since many are experiencing job loss or extra time working at home indefinitely.
And it seems like pets serve as best friends now more than ever: 72% of owners shared that they feel an emotional connection to their dog or cat, with 90% believing that animals provide emotional support. And though caring for a pet admittedly involves a lot of time, training, and energy, 81% feel that caring for a pet serves as a form of self-care, too.
Of course, the health benefits of having a pet are well-proven, too, with 65% of respondents in this study sharing that their pets have helped their mental health during shelter-in-place orders, and 54% feeling that they’re healthier due to their pets, no doubt thanks to the walking and playing involved.
So if you’ve been searching for an excuse to finally take the leap into pet-parenting, this survey gives you plenty. And with self-care and wellness being top priorities these days, what better time than now?
